The Breaststroke Lane

The Breastroke Lane, This is a place for breastrokers Unite
some call it EVIL STROKE,
It's a weird stroke, Inspired from frogs
lot's of resistance, takes strength & technique
it helps to have strong legs & feet that turn out
you get slower intervals & have a built in advantage in IMs
figure out your order and make the sets
you spend much of your time underwater, holding your breath while your lungs are about to burst.
chat some between sets and on easy kicks

Re: The Breaststroke Lane

It's only called evil stroke by those who can't do it.My favorite BR quote was from a coach in an article on how to swim the 400 IM.Of the BR leg he said most should focus on tempo because"only the few,BLESSED BY GOD,are allowed to glide."(my capitalization)Are you one of the "blessed" who can do the kick right? Isn't it great?

Re: The Breaststroke Lane

I concur with Allen. This a quote I had laying around on my computer.

"Many years ago, I was very very fortunate to spend a little time with former world record holder,
Olympic gold medal winning coach and outstanding breaststroke technician Terry Gathercole.
One morning we were on deck at the Australian Institute of Sport watching some elite level breaststrokers
when all of a sudden he said “Shhh – listen to that”. I said “what?”
Again he said, “Listen to that”. Again I said “what – I can’t hear anything”. Terry smiled and replied, “That’s why
breaststroke is the best stroke. It takes finesse. It’s a peaceful and gentle stroke. It takes real skill. It takes the best
swimmers to swim it well. It is an art form”."

"Think of your breaststroke as a jewel: You never hammer it, you only polish it."

Re: The Breaststroke Lane

Breaststroke was my specialty in high school and is the ONLY stroke I'm competing in as a new Masters swimmer (31 years later...).

Hey Ande, I got through EVERY SINGLE ONE of your tips and took a lot of notes! There are so many I will be referring back to often. THANKS AGAIN!

Your tips are helping. I think "Ride the Glide" all the time, now, and it worked at today's developmental meet in Atlanta. I took 1+ second off my 50 breast and almost 2 seconds off my 100 breast and 200 breast. And, I split my 200 as you suggested. Your advice has been a great help!

PLEASE, breaststrokers, keep this thread alive! We have to stick together! And, if I can give any advice at all, read Ande's Tips!!!

Re: The Breaststroke Lane

Hey Allen, I've seen your posts all over the forums, including the threads I have started. I appreciate your support and pro-breaststroke spirit! And, of course, I like your avatar.

Just for the heck of it, I decided to look you up in the "Swimmer Lookup" for Nationals and see where you are seeded for your breaststroke events. WOW!

Then, I checked out your ranking for 50 breaststroke.

Good luck at Nationals. I hope you WIN!

Thanks,I love breaststroke.Nationals should be fun,but "the Man" Bob Strand is the number one seed.It's great to swim with him though as you have to love swimming with the best.
Good Luck to you at Nats,your are bound to get some PBs.
Breaststroke Forever!!!!

Re: The Breaststroke Lane

Originally Posted by Allen Stark

Thanks,I love breaststroke.Nationals should be fun,but "the Man" Bob Strand is the number one seed.It's great to swim with him though as you have to love swimming with the best.
Good Luck to you at Nats,your are bound to get some PBs.
Breaststroke Forever!!!!

I saw Bob Strand up there as the top seed, but your times are close. You can BEAT him, so I'm hoping you do!

Re: The Breaststroke Lane

Originally Posted by Allen Stark

Proper depth just takes practice.You may be pushing off too deep or angling down on the pulldown.I'd have to see to be sure.What happened in the 100?

What I do is assume a slightly downward angle as I begin my pull, then use the force of the pull to bring me to tilt upward slightly, then as I snap the end of my pull that will place me in a rising angle of attack for my recovery and kick.

The issue here is that the depth of entry that works for you on free, fly and back because of your ability to dolphin kick is working against you slightly in breast as you end up about a foot too deep.

A way too fix also is to pause for about half a beat more before you start the pull, before you start your breast kick and before you start the second pull. But that method will create 'dead' spots where your speed goes to almost zero.

Re: The Breaststroke Lane

hey Elaine-iaK,

thank you for your kind words about Swim Faster Faster.
The tips work, they've worked for many who tried & applied them. They've also worked for me, I'm my own guinea pig, they've helped me swim faster now than I did 5 years ago. Some provide instant gratification with instant improvement, (especially for beginners & rebeginners, those who are back after a long hiatus) some take a while, but they work.

I hope to turn them into a book. I decided to put the info on the web, so folks could use it, rather than just let it sit on my hard drive for just me & the few I talk to.

I want you to swim faster faster, even breastrokers.

Ande

Originally Posted by ElaineK

Hey Ande, I got through EVERY SINGLE ONE of your tips and took a lot of notes! There are so many I will be referring back to often. THANKS AGAIN!

Your tips are helping. I think "Ride the Glide" all the time, now, and it worked at today's developmental meet in Atlanta. I took 1+ second off my 50 breast and almost 2 seconds off my 100 breast and 200 breast. And, I split my 200 as you suggested. Your advice has been a great help!

Re: The Breaststroke Lane

Originally Posted by Chris Stevenson

I saw that on the results, a real bummer. (I know the feeling, though... )

The S&T judge (who unfortunately was also doubling as the deck ref) said I took "two complete breaststroke stroke cycles underwater before surfacing" and he wrote "pull, kick, pull, kick." I can guarantee you I did not take 2 breaststroke cycles underwater; I'm not an 8 & Under. I think he must have confused by my scull hands out, dolphin kick, pull down and kick up. I went very far underwater, so he probably assumed something was wrong. Had I actually done something wrong (flutter kicked to the surfaced, been nailed for undulation looking like a second dolphin kick), I wouldn't have said a word. But I was fairly steamed on principle; there is simply no way I did what he described and wrote up in the DQ. He was dead wrong. And he also did not write to the rule on his DQ slip.

I've tried doing what Wolfy describes on my pull outs, but I still end up way too deep. I guess I shouldn't angle down at all since my dolphin kick leaves me too deep.